A group of researchers in the USA were interested in how many doctors bedshared with their babies, and whether this affected their breastfeeding journey. Unlike the advice of professional organisations in many countries, which tend towards positivity or neutrality thanks to up to date research showing its benefits, bedsharing is still contrary to the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
77% of their group of respondees were in roles where they were responsible for the care of pregnant women and people, and/or infants. This is perhaps relevant as doctors in these roles may be more aware of the AAP’s guidance than other doctors.
Despite this, the doctors in the survey were still likely to bedshare, with 68% reporting “some bedsharing”. Bedsharing led to an average of 4 months longer breastfeeding duration.
Interestingly, 52% of the doctors did not tell their own healthcare providers that they were sharing a bed with their baby. The researchers note that this could perpetuate the stigma of bedsharing, and reduce the chance of positive discussions being had, as well as the sharing of safety information about sharing a bed with a baby.
You can read the full report here…
BASIS is a great source of evidence based bed-sharing information for parents and professionals. (Click here to go to their website)